Joshua 12

1 The following are the local kings whom the Israelites defeated and whose territories they took possession of: East of the Yarden, from the Wadi Arnon to MountChermon, including the eastern half of the Arabah:

6 These were vanquished by Moshe, the servant of Hashem, and the Israelites; and Moshe, the servant of Hashem, assigned that territory as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Menashe.

12:6 Moshe, the servant of Hashem, assigned that territory as a possession

In this chapter, which summarizes the wars fought by the Children of Israel to take possession of the Promised Land, we are also reminded of the wars Moshefought. Mosheled the people against Sihon and Og, and captured the Gilead and the Bashan. This area became the inheritance of the tribes of Gad, Reuvenand half of Menashe(see Numbers 32:33). The Bashan is now known as the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered in the Six Day War from Syria. Towering over the north of the country, the Golan Heights provides an essential strategic perch that is vital for Israel’s security. Coupled with its biblical significance, the Golan Heights remain an important part of the State of Israel. In his final interview before suffering a massive stroke in 2006, Prime Minister ArielSharon told Japanese reporters, “I am a Jew, and that is the most important thing for me. Therefore when it comes to the security of Israel I will not make any compromises…I don’t see any situation where Israel will not be sitting on the Golan Heights.”

7 And the following are the local kings whom Yehoshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Yarden—from Baal-gad in the Valley of the Lebanon to Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir—which Yehoshua assigned as a possession to the tribal divisions of Yisrael:

8 in the hill country, in the lowlands, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev—[in the land of] the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Comment ( 1 )

Verse 6 comments: …The Bashan is now known as the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered in the Six Day War from Syria. Towering over the north of the country, the Golan Heights provides an essential strategic perch that is vital for Israel’s security. Coupled with its biblical significance, the Golan Heights remain an important part of the State of Israel. In his final interview before suffering a massive stroke in 2006, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Japanese reporters, “I am a Jew, and that is the most important thing for me. Therefore when it comes to the security of Israel I will not make any compromises…I don’t see any situation where Israel will not be sitting on the Golan Heights.”

From Twitter, 3/21/2019, 11:50 pm:
“After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!” U.S. President Donald J. Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described this as a “Purim miracle”.

Joshua Map

About The Israel Bible

The Israel Bible is the world’s first Tanakh (Bible) centered around the Land of Israel, the People of Israel, and the dynamic relationship between them. Designed for both Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike, The Israel Bible offers a unique commentary that seeks to explain God’s focus on the Land of Israel alongside the original Hebrew text, transliteration of select Hebrew verses, and the New Jewish Publication Society translation.
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